angelfish troubles.... by PoorChipotle

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PoorChipotle
i didnt see a sick fish section on here, so i hope this is the right section.
my girlfriend and i recently set up an old 10 gallon i had at my house, and after cycling, we went to purchase some fish. we bought one pleco, 1 pink glowfish, and a pair of angelfish. i have kept fish for quite some time, and ive had my fair share of sick fish. but about three days after we got these fish, one angelfish just up and died. i wasnt at the house to see this occur, but lastnight the second one started having what seems like swim-bladder issues. he/she sits on the bottom, and swims up until he/she just falls back down. i dont have my PH test kit, but until just last night this fish was eating and swimming around just fine.

any opinions or ideas for rescue will be of great appreciation.
thank you so much.

-andrew.

Star_Rider
there is a sick section but this may actually fit in the general section.

have you tested the water? (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate)
how did you cycle the tank?

btw , that is a lot of fish for a 10 gallon tank.
but we can address the stocking issue if you like.


PoorChipotle
there is a sick section but this may actually fit in the general section.

have you tested the water? (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate)
how did you cycle the tank?

btw , that is a lot of fish for a 10 gallon tank.
i know thats a lot for 10 gallons. >< but they're REALLY tiny at the moment. never was able to test the water. we may have jumped the gun and bought these too early. :/

Hebily
Sorry to hear about your sick fish. In order to help, we will need more info.

1. Do you plan on getting a substantially larger tank in the very near future?
2. What did you do to cycle the tank?
3. How long was it between the first fish dying and this one acting strangely?
4. Have you tested ANY water parameters?
5. Where did you get these fish?
6. What is your set up for filtration, heat, and light?
7. What temperature is the tank water?
8. What are you feeding?
9. Are there any visible symptoms? (abrasions, 'fuzzy' patches, discoloration, odd shape, torn or eroded fins)


Angels are amazing fish, but they are not the hardiest. If there is a chance this tank is still cycling, you should do many, large water changes... Keep doing them until you can verify the tank is done cycling.

Star_Rider
i know thats a lot for 10 gallons. >< but they're REALLY tiny at the moment. never was able to test the water. we may have jumped the gun and bought these too early. :/

not a problem, I raise angels from time to time (when time permits) i use a 10 for fry grow out or for hosp/qt.

Tiny fish get to be large fish given the opportunity.
at issue is a 10 will foul pretty quickly.
I would suggest you get a test kit preferably a liquid kit(not test strips)

for now tho i would do large daily water changes until you can get the test kit. this will minimize, what I suspect as jumps in NH3 /NO2
don't quit yet.

what conditioner are you using?
or is the water free of chlorine/chloramine?

Hebily
what conditioner are you using?
or is the water free of chlorine/chloramine?

I knew I was forgetting something important!

PoorChipotle
Sorry to hear about your sick fish. In order to help, we will need more info.

1. Do you plan on getting a substantially larger tank in the very near future?
2. What did you do to cycle the tank?
3. How long was it between the first fish dying and this one acting strangely?
4. Have you tested ANY water parameters?
5. Where did you get these fish?
6. What is your set up for filtration, heat, and light?
7. What temperature is the tank water?
8. What are you feeding?
9. Are there any visible symptoms? (abrasions, 'fuzzy' patches, discoloration, odd shape, torn or eroded fins)


Angels are amazing fish, but they are not the hardiest. If there is a chance this tank is still cycling, you should do many, large water changes... Keep doing them until you can verify the tank is done cycling.
1:i have a 75 and a 120. moving to a bigger tank is in no way un-doable. this isnt a problem.
2:cycling:started with one pleco, left the tank run for 2 days and nights. this is the issue, im guessing. she wanted fish, and i didnt really think about the cycling. its been awhile since ive set up a small tank like this. ive focused mostl;y on my planted 75 gallon.
3:the first fish was dead 5 nights ago. this one just started acting up lastnight. he ate yesterday before we went out, and she came home to him laying on his side.
4:water has not been tested, i was out of kits. the water around us is usually ideal for keeping fish. low iron, neutrap PH. infact, all of my saltwater fish and corrals thrived in this water.
5:this is gonna sound horrible. my LFS closed, and we went to petco ><
6:small heater, cant remember the brand. a single cartridge penguin filter, which may be a bit big for this tank. cant remember the number on this thing. and the light is a T5 standard flourescent bulb.
7:temp=76 degrees.
8:food thus far has been flakes...thats all petco feeds ANY of their fish, and we never even got the chance to move on to something different. :/
9:absolutely NO visable signs of harm.

thanks again,
-andrew.


PoorChipotle
i just went in there to dish out some water, and the fish was dead. :/ i bet this whole ordeal makes me sound like a flaming asshat. but i have never seen this before. im going to check if there were any water updates in my town. im thinking the service may have changed.

thank you guys so much. i feel very stupid right now.
-andrew.

Hebily
It does sound like the issue is that the tank is cycling. I would get tests asap, and do AT LEAST 2 50% water changes EVERY DAY until ammo and nitrites are gone. Also, I would reccomend Seachem Prime as a water conditioner. It will help reduce the negative effects of ammonia and nitrites.

We all make mistakes. The pleco is still kicking, right?

PoorChipotle
We all make mistakes. The pleco is still kicking, right?
the pleco and the glowfish are happy campers...
maybe they are less subject to whatever's in the water.


Star_Rider
1:i have a 75 and a 120. moving to a bigger tank is in no way un-doable. this isnt a problem.
2:cycling:started with one pleco, left the tank run for 2 days and nights. this is the issue, im guessing. she wanted fish, and i didnt really think about the cycling. its been awhile since ive set up a small tank like this. ive focused mostl;y on my planted 75 gallon.
3:the first fish was dead 5 nights ago. this one just started acting up lastnight. he ate yesterday before we went out, and she came home to him laying on his side.
4:water has not been tested, i was out of kits. the water around us is usually ideal for keeping fish. low iron, neutrap PH. infact, all of my saltwater fish and corrals thrived in this water.
5:this is gonna sound horrible. my LFS closed, and we went to petco ><
6:small heater, cant remember the brand. a single cartridge penguin filter, which may be a bit big for this tank. cant remember the number on this thing. and the light is a T5 standard flourescent bulb.
7:temp=76 degrees.
8:food thus far has been flakes...thats all petco feeds ANY of their fish, and we never even got the chance to move on to something different. :/
9:absolutely NO visable signs of harm.

thanks again,
-andrew.
I am pretty sure the tank is not cycled.(as in nitrogen cycle)
it takes weeks unless you seed the new tank with bacteria from an existing tank.
but we won't know until you get the water tests done.

i would move some filter media over from the existing planted set up to jump start the 10.

plecos are poo machines. they can foul the water pretty quickly.

if you did move media then I would start to suspect the stock ..may have come with possible issues. depending on where you got them.

Hebily
plecos and danios are tough... just don't get more fish until the tank is cycled completely... and keep up on the waterchanges. Just cause they are more likely to survive bad conditions doesn't mean they should have to.

Also, honestly with a ten, the pleco will need a new home in a while ( a few months, maybe as much as a year). The danio would be happier with buddies (more danios [glofish] {I am assuming you mean glowfish danio, and not glowlight tetra}) So I would prolly just get another 6 or so glofish for that tank and maybe some shrimp or snails...

JimL
Andrew;
Well, you really jumped the gun on cycling the 10g. What is the status of the 125 & 75? If they have been running for some time (6 months or better) you can take some of the dirty filter floss from one of them and add it to the filter on the 10, wait a few days and then get some new fish, the tank will be cycled.
If the 125 & 75 are also new you will need to cycle all three. In the 10 you already have a pleco and that's good start. At this point I would get 5 white-clouds (feeders, but NOT feeder gold fish) their job will be to cycle the tank. They can be fed to larger fish later on. With the pleco & 5 wc your tank should cycle in about three weeks. Change 25% of the water weekly and you'll be good to go. If the 125 & 75 are not cycled you can do the same with them, just increse the number of wc like 20 for the 125 and 15 for the 75. Get them as feeders and you'll save a good bit of money. Like the 10, change 25% water weekly, and you'll be good to go in no time.

PoorChipotle
Andrew;
Well, you really jumped the gun on cycling the 10g. What is the status of the 125 & 75? If they have been running for some time (6 months or better) you can take some of the dirty filter floss from one of them and add it to the filter on the 10, wait a few days and then get some new fish, the tank will be cycled.
If the 125 & 75 are also new you will need to cycle all three. In the 10 you already have a pleco and that's good start. At this point I would get 5 white-clouds (feeders, but NOT feeder gold fish) their job will be to cycle the tank. They can be fed to larger fish later on. With the pleco & 5 wc your tank should cycle in about three weeks. Change 25% of the water weekly and you'll be good to go. If the 125 & 75 are not cycled you can do the same with them, just increse the number of wc like 20 for the 125 and 15 for the 75. Get them as feeders and you'll save a good bit of money. Like the 10, change 25% water weekly, and you'll be good to go in no time.
yeah, the 75 has been running for quite some time now. the 120 is brand-spankin' new. and has never been touched. and to whoever suggested filter media from a previous tank. it is filter media from an operating tank. and so is the substrate and all the decorations.


FasterShrimpo
yeah, the 75 has been running for quite some time now. the 120 is brand-spankin' new. and has never been touched. and to whoever suggested filter media from a previous tank. it is filter media from an operating tank. and so is the substrate and all the decorations.
Well the current tank the media is being housed in should be left alone. The substrate(gravel) is most likely inhabited with bacteria(good kind) so just put a bit of that in tank that need cycling unless the gravel is in the uncycled tank than I suggest taking the old water from the water change and put it in the tank. (sorry for the run-on)


JimL
Take dirty filter floss from the 75 and put 1/4 of it into the filter of the 10g and the rest into the filter of the 125. This works IF the floss from the 75 is well used and the dirtyer the better. It won't work so well if the floss is new and clean. Let the filters run for about a week and you'll be good to go for adding fish.

Star_Rider
actually if you have gravel from an established tank, it should help.

filter media from an established tank may also be filter squeezing from a sponge in the established tank.. i have used this with no issues in several new tanks.

the tank water from an established tank won't add much, as the bacteria tend to cling to surfaces..
areas like the filter create a great place for the bacteria to colonize.

here's a thought for you tho.. an established planted tank may not have all much bacteria. if heavily planted,

a well established heavily planted tank may not see much ammonia.. the plants would use it and the bacteria population may be slim. no food for the bacteria = no bacteria.
 
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